The Will of the Captive
by nihao.muse
Summary: Yusei is desperately searching for something, Kiryu is scheming a means of escape, and Jack's path will cross with both of theirs whether he wills it or not. Kiryu/Jack, Yusei/Jack, Yusei/Kiryu.
1. Chapter 1

Slowly, whatever immunity the dancing crowd had to hyperactive strobe lights and deafening music rubbed off on Yusei. The filthy atmosphere of the room clung to his skin and that he could not ignore or get used to. Perhaps if he'd come here for fun, it would've been a different experience, but Yusei didn't care for playing around. Not when so much was at stake.

People bumped into him left and right. Some were just clumsy dancers. Others tried to pickpocket him, which Yusei had expected and thus all their greedy fingers met with was pocket lint. There were groping hands too, sultry voices of men and women inviting him to dance, but he pushed on through the crowd, slapping away only the most insistent of hands.

There was no sense to the layout of the room. Here, three-fourths of the way from the entrance, was an oversized stage with a sole dancer upon it. She swung around a pole as glittery as her outfit, which was nothing more than a bra and underwear at this point. Security lurked around the bottom of the stage, pulling audience members who got too eager away from the stage. They did nothing about the shouting, though, and lewd words were thrown at the woman as she teased their gazes with a hint of even more skin. Yusei turned away in disgust and took his search elsewhere.

"Hey, pretty boy, wanna buy me a drink?" Arms wound themselves around his neck and a low voice whispered in his ear. Yusei gripped the guy's wrists and turned as he pushed him away.

"I'm not interested."

The stranger smiled at him, amused. He looked right at home in the seedy club, dressed in leather with gaudy silver bracelets and lavender nail polish on. His hair looked like it had been dyed frosty white. "You weren't interested in the prostitutes at the door. You weren't interested in the dancer. But you're also not interested in drinking with another guy. Just what _are _you interested in?"

"Have you been following me?" Yusei was pissed at himself for not noticing, but it was hard to keep track of anyone in the surge of writhing people. There could be others yet with their eyes on him.

"Sure. You caught my attention when you threw the assistant chief of police to the ground for touching your ass."

Yusei looked over at the bar, remembering the sweaty middle-aged man who'd made a pass at him. "What the hell is he doing in a place like this?"

The stranger shrugged. "What the hell are any of us doing here? Well, I know why I'm here, but I'm still not sure about you."

"Stop following me." Yusei took a step away, wanting to finish scouring the corners of the room so he could return outside. The night air out there might've been polluted, but it was fresher than the unbreathable fumes inside. Despite refusing any alcohol, Yusei knew he was going to wake up with a headache tomorrow.

To his dismay, the stranger stepped forward, closing the space between them again. He studied Yusei's face. "Let me give you some advice."

Yusei stared at him, waiting and hoping that after he'd said his piece he would move on.

"If you don't have a reason to be here, then get out. Right now. Before you can't."

"Is that why you're here?" Yusei asked before he could help himself.

The stranger smiled again, this time wryly. "Think about what I said, Stardust." His fingers ran through Yusei's hair and he walked away. Yusei let himself be touched, too stunned at the nickname to raise a hand against him.

Stardust. He hadn't been called that in years. Not since-

Memories would have to wait, especially bitter ones he didn't want to keep in his head anyway. Yusei headed to the far end of the room to search the last bit. He hadn't been optimistic about his chances of finding what he was looking for in the first place, but disappointment at failing was inevitable. Because it wasn't himself he was failing.

Yusei pulled out a phone from a hidden pocket in his jacket and swiped the screen. It glowed brightly in the dim room. No bars. Yusei clutched it tightly in his hand as he hurried to the exit, pushing open the heavy iron door. He leaned against the brick wall by the club, relieved for the relative peace and quiet of the outside world. The women he'd rejected services from earlier gave him sour looks from the other side of the street as they prowled for other potential customers. Yusei looked at his phone again. Satisfied his call wouldn't drop, he dialed one of the few numbers he knew by heart and listened to the ringing that followed.

A beep and then the answering machine picked up. Yusei cursed under his breath. He'd already left a dozen messages. Any more would be a waste of his time.

He crouched down, knowing he should get back home before it got any darker but needing a moment to rest. Muted music slipped out through the cracks in the door. A song he'd heard on the radio countless times this summer was playing. Its beat made him impatient. He stood up again and headed towards his house, hands in his pockets and eyes flickering around him now and then to make sure he wasn't being followed. Unlike in the club, it wouldn't be easy to tail him out here, but the law of the land was better safe than dead in a ditch.

He made it to the run-down apartment complex he'd been living in for the past three months. The security guard the landlord had been pressured into hiring after a series of break-ins was dozing in a chair by the door. Yusei nudged the chair's legs as he walked by. Before the front door closed behind him, he heard the guard jump up with a start, shouting, "Who's there?"

Yusei took the stairs to the top floor and let himself into his apartment. The lock had been broken when he moved in, so he'd made his own locking device and a special key that would be hard to duplicate. His other deterrent to burglars was that he had nothing worth stealing. An old futon, a cabinet of cup noodles, and a rusty air conditioner he'd salvaged from a dumpster were about the only things that could be taken.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to have to go back to the club. He stretched out on his futon after taking off his boots and closed his eyes. The club was his only lead. Tomorrow, he would talk to any patrons he'd seen tonight. Regulars were more likely to know things of interest. He wondered if he should've asked the stranger who'd spoken with him, but Yusei sensed something off about him. He was someone to keep his distance from.

"_Stardust."_

The nickname echoed through his mind and he sighed. Was it his eyes? His hair? Why did people call him that? Yusei willed himself into a dreamless sleep, mind guarded against childhood memories trying to slip back in.

* * *

><p>There was no such thing as a good customer, but some were much worse than others. Right now Kiryu wished it were anyone else on the bed above him, pounding into his body still tender from the previous night and awkwardly stroking his face now and then, as though to help Kiryu enjoy himself, as though he'd be there if there was the remotest choice otherwise. It was a blessing the room was so dark; the blatant disgust written on Kiryu's face would not make for a repeat customer.<p>

Everyone that invited him into their hotel room saw him as a tool, not a person. Just a device to get them off. Even if Kiryu could accept that, there were inevitably customers who broke the pattern and forced him to adjust to some new torture. Sometimes, consideration was crueler than disdain. This older man who'd shelled out a decent amount of money that Kiryu would never see had seemed a bit hesitant at first. Maybe this was his first time with a prostitute. Kiryu didn't know, and he didn't care. After his client came, Kiryu expected to be freed, but instead a clammy hand wrapped around Kiryu's cock and he tried to get Kiryu to come, too.

Kiryu forced a weak smile. "You don't have to do that. I'm here for your service, remember?"

The man hushed him in perhaps what he thought was a gentle tone. "Doesn't it feel good?"

_It feels like I'm going to snap and rip your eyeballs from your sockets_, was what Kiryu thought. The answer he gave was a noncommittal hum.

His body began began to respond, regardless of how his mind felt. _Just hurry up and get it over with! _he wanted to scream. No wonder this guy had to resort to paying for sex. He had no idea what he was doing and Kiryu's skilled finger work earlier apparently hadn't given him any tips.

When at last he came, his cum spraying across his stomach, his sigh of relief was genuine. Now he could go home.

But it wasn't over. His client shoved him back into the pillow and kissed him deeply. As if driven by the need to dominate all of Kiryu's openings, he thrust his tongue into his mouth and swirled it around. Kiryu gagged and pushed him away. "I fucked you, now we're done." He slid off the bed and felt around for his clothes.

The man made a sound of displeasure, but he didn't try to stop Kiryu. He said, "You can clean up before you go."

"It's fine." Truthfully, he couldn't wait to shower the session away, but first he wanted to get as far from the man as possible. His clothes clung to him uncomfortably where he was damp from sweat and cum, but he ignored it as he left, closing the door firmly behind him.

He went out the same way he came in, a staircase in the back of the hotel that no one seemed to use. In the stairwell, he paused and leaned against the wall. He placed his fingers to his lips and tried to wipe away the bad taste. It was so strange. He'd been fucked countless times, but that had been his first kiss.

Everything was taken from him in the end.

He forced himself to move again, out the emergency exit and into the muggy night. He couldn't take the bus back in his state, so he walked fast towards his prison and home, trying to think of something that could make the long walk pass quickly. Scenes from the club that evening came into his mind. Scouting for customers, winking discreetly at old ones, and then that guy his age who'd seemed out of place in an indescribable way.

_I gave him good advice_, Kiryu thought. _But I get the feeling he's not going to take it. Oh, well, I tried._

Kiryu let himself in through the front door and locked it behind him. There weren't any lights on inside, which was a good sign. When Kiryu didn't hear anything, he figured he had to be home alone. He went into the upstairs bathroom, stripped his clothes off, and turned the water up as hot as it would go. It scalded his skin and he smiled, knowing nothing would be left of the old man on him.

A knock at the door snapped him out of his reverie. "Occupied," he shouted over the sound of the shower.

Divine's honey-sweet voice replied, "Will you be done soon? There's something I need to discuss with you."

Kiryu looked down at his feet, which were blocking the drain and causing the water to pool at his feet. He kicked at it and watched the ripples fight with the water falling from above. "Dunno. Could be awhile."

"If you want to use up all the hot water, go ahead. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

Kiryu scowled and shut the water off. His peaceful shower had been ruined. He wrapped a towel around his waist and crossed the hall to his room. The mirror hanging on the wall distracted him. Had he always had so many scars? He knocked it off its nail with his shoulder as he passed so that it fell with a thud on the wooden floor, then he kicked it under the bed.

There wasn't much to choose from in his closet. He threw on shorts and an old red shirt and left the towel on the floor. Reluctantly, he went down to the dining room, where Divine was sipping a glass of wine and reading some French novel. Kiryu took the chair across from him and said, "So?"

Divine bookmarked his page and took another drink before answering. "I'm going on a business trip. I'll be gone for a week."

Kiryu stared at him for a moment. "That's why you interrupted my shower time?" He started to get up.

"Actually, there's one more thing." Another drink, another pause. Kiryu fidgeted in his chair. "I don't want you to leave the house while I'm gone."

"What!?" Kiryu looked at him in disbelief. "What am I supposed to do for an entire week?"

"It's a big house. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"No way," Kiryu said. "And it's not like you can make me from wherever you're going."

"That's true. But, Kiryu," Divine said, "is that any way to repay all I've done for you? By refusing my simple requests of you?"

Kiryu seethed. "Don't play innocent with me! I don't owe you anything!" The falseness of his words crushed his fighting spirit, though. "Why does it matter anyway, where I am?" Kiryu asked, adopting a different approach.

"Because if I'm not here to keep an eye on you, you'll inevitably end up in trouble. I'm just looking out for you."

"No one asked you to." Kiryu stood up and turned his back. "I'll do whatever I want."

Divine sighed as he walked away, but Kiryu refused to look back. "When you get into trouble, don't say I didn't warn you. Think over my words tonight. Maybe you'll be more agreeable after you've rested up from your... ordeal."

"Shut up!"

Kiryu remembered the wet, clumsy tongue exploring his mouth, the sweaty hands all over his lower half, and cringed. Divine's cold hands touched his shoulders and he flinched, to his embarrassment.

Divine turned him around and smiled at him. "You'll have a week all to yourself, you see. No customers, no responsibilities. I'm just asking you not to stray."

An entire seven days without his body being violated. He hadn't had the kind of rest for so long. He looked away and nodded. "Fine. Whatever."

"Good boy." Divine squeezed one of his shoulders and let him go, returning to his wine and book. Kiryu went to the kitchen, poured himself a drink, downed it in one gulp, and went back to his room.

* * *

><p>Exhaustion came all at once. Kiryu laid down on his futon and reached over to the side, where a small bottle was. He poured two pills from it into his palm and swallowed them quickly to minimize the bitter aftertaste. He buried his face into his pillow and willed himself to sleep.<p>

It was day three of Divine's absence and Kiryu was bored out of his mind. He'd watched all the movies Divine owned, mended his old clothes, and read part of a book on personality disorders before deciding it was as tedious as the rest of Divine's library. Free time had no right to be so dull. He even missed the club despite all the sleazy people that hung around it and had debated going the previous night, dressing up and fixing his hair and everything, before halting at the front door and giving up on the idea.

Now he was stretched out on the sofa in the spacious living room, flipping through the variety shows and trashy dramas on television. He watched some celebrity he'd never heard of answer questions about her personal life and dating preferences before he got fed up with the pointlessness of it and turned it off. The resulting silence was unbearable. He reached over for the nearest distraction and his fingers met a stack of newspapers.

He picked up the top one and looked at the front page. People dying, people winning elections and promising to keep more people from dying, people who won last year's elections being caught in lies. Only one thing caught his eye. Near the bottom, next to an article about the Chief of Police Rex Godwin's new campaign for mayor of Neo Domino, was a picture of his adopted son.

"Jack Atlas," Kiryu read slowly. It was obviously an English name. He decided he liked it. It had a strong sound quality to it. He read the part of the article relevant to him:

_Jack Atlas (pictured right) was adopted at the age of sixteen from an orphanage in the Satellite district of Neo Domino. A recent graduate of Neo Domino University, Mr. Atlas is speculated to intend to follow his father's footsteps into the political realm, but he was unavailable for comment as of press time._

"Jack Atlas. Jack Atlas." Kiryu repeated his name aloud. He wondered how Jack had ended up in the Satellite district. It was the objectively worst place to live in all of Neo Domino and it wasn't so far past the club he frequented.

_I bet Godwin only adopted him to look good_, Kiryu thought. _Like a real humanitarian. _He'd heard about how little the police involved themselves in the Satellite district. If a criminal wanted to hide, or if an important figure in society wanted to dabble in the illegal, they could do so there and the police would turn a blind eye.

Losing interest, Kiryu tossed the paper aside and closed his eyes. He had little else to do with his time besides nap.

_Jack Atlas, huh? I bet he's rich, if he's Godwin's kid. I wonder if he knows how to deal with all that money since he came from Satellite._

_I wonder._

Kiryu's eyes flew open. "What the hell am I doing in this place!?" Suddenly, he couldn't remember why he'd agreed to abide by Divine's instructions. There was no reason to and a thousand reasons not to. The walls were closing in on him and he had to get out, right then.

He ran upstairs and started throwing things into a backpack. Twice as many shirts went in as pants and he forgot socks all together, but he was in too much of a hurry to double-check anything. After forcing his cell phone and pill bottles in the tiny gap left above the clothes, he zipped the backpack shut and went downstairs to put his shoes on. The laces had been double-knotted and he couldn't untie them, so he used a pocketknife to cut them off in annoyance.

He didn't look back and didn't bother to lock the door behind him. If anyone stole Divine's stuff, that was his own problem. Kiryu took off running again, vaguely towards downtown, but he couldn't picture any destination. As long as he wasn't trapped in Divine's cage, it would be preferable, so he went fast and far. He had to slow down when the streets got more crowded and people started staring at him.

A giddy smile crossed his face. Freedom had been so close after all; he'd only had to embrace it. He hummed to himself as he weaved through the streets, backtracking and going in circles, letting his feet do all the thinking for him. Slowly, the scenery around him changed. Where there had been office buildings and parking lots, there were now three-story houses and elaborate gardens. He'd made it the Tops, which meant he'd been walking for a long time. At this realization, his feet started to hurt, but it was fine. He was close now.

_A fundraiser for Godwin's campaign took place on his estate this past month. The police bureau's current Chief of Special Investigations, Sagiri Mikage, is pictured to the right greeting guests as they enter the party._

The house looked just as it had in the paper, but grander without the black-and-white imaging toning it down. A carefully arranged zen garden was partly visible behind the house and in front was a series of shrubs in bloom. There were no lights on inside. Kiryu checked his cell phone. It was the middle of the afternoon, so Godwin was probably at work.

"Which is his room?" Kiryu whispered to himself. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, darted across the street and through the gate, and around back to observe the rooms visible through the windows there. Even then, he had no clear goal in mind. He was merely obeying the whims of each subsequent moment, and right now, they had him with his face pressed to the glass, peering through a slit in a curtain into one of the fanciest rooms he'd ever seen. There was a huge flat-screen television hanging on the wall and a semi-circle of a leather couch in front of it. An expensive sound system was in all four corners of the room, right next to potted plants of vibrant colors. It was amazing, but it wasn't what he was looking for.

So, he was just going to have to take a closer look.

He took out his pocketknife again and worked at the window's lock. It took less than a minute for him to get it open and crawl through into the living room. He shut it behind him and relocked it before creeping silently down a long hallway and up a spiral staircase. There was no one to be heard, no housekeeper or pets of any sort, and Kiryu was counting on his luck to keep up. He tried each door on the top floor until he found what had to be Jack's room.

It was every bit as fancy and well-kept as the rest of the house, but there were signs that it belonged to someone younger. There was a bookshelf with pictures and books Kiryu barely glanced at and a balcony he vowed to check out later. A handheld game console was on the bedside table next a stack of pamphlets with the names of various graduate schools on them. The bed itself was of great interest to Kiryu. He dropped his backpack and hopped on it. It was so soft that for awhile, he laid there, relaxing against the silk pillowcases.

There was a door across from the one he'd came in from, so he made himself get up and check it out. It led into a bathroom almost half the size of the bedroom. The shower had golden knobs and settings Kiryu'd never heard of before. _I bet you could wash away all the bad nights of the world here_, he marveled. Overtaken by the desire to try it out, he locked the bathroom door and turned the knobs until the water was at a comfortable temperature. He left his clothes in a pile and got into it. The water itself seemed superior to all he'd ever known, and Kiryu knew it was fate that had led him here.

* * *

><p>Everything was going to be okay. Divine couldn't touch him here. No one could. Reveling in his invincibility, Kiryu relaxed in the water's flow, already feeling at home.<p>

Jack Atlas looked at motorcycle after motorcycle in disdain. "Are these all you've got?" he demanded of the salesman, who flinched at the force of his words.

"These models are of the highest caliber, I assure you, sir," he said. "Perhaps if you gave me an idea of what you're looking for..."

"The best motorcycle there is." He would accept nothing less, and nothing had met this expectation since he'd arrived at the motorcycle dealership. He couldn't put into words what was lacking in the machines around him; he simply knew they weren't worthy of belonging to him.

The salesman led him over to another row and gestured at a blue and chrome machine. "How about this one? It has power and style, and is available for low monthly payments of just-"

"Money is no issue." Jack crossed his arms. "Don't hide the good stuff just because you think I won't be able to afford it."

The salesman looked at him skeptically, then his eyes widened in recognition. "Could you be... Are you Rex Godwin's son?"

"What business is that of yours?" Jack snapped. He cursed the newspaper that had run a picture of him next an article that had nothing to do with him, just his adoptive father. Now strangers did double-takes as he walked by and it was getting on his nerves.

"Nothing, nothing at all! Come this way, please."

At least knowing who Jack was convinced him he wasn't just some kid stopping by to waste his time. The motorcycles Jack was shown next looked more promising, and at the end of the row, he found the one meant for him. It was a soft silver with purple touches, and when the salesman allowed him to sit on it and turn it on, the engine roared to life beautifully.

"I'll take it," Jack said, pulling out the credit card that he kept nestled right next to his new license.

"Are you paying in full, sir?" the salesman asked, looking stunned. Jack just stared at him until he took the card. A few pieces of paperwork later and the motorcycle belonged entirely to him.

He'd taken the bus to the dealership, so he planned on driving the bike back. _That idiot better not tell everyone he knows I was here_, Jack thought. It was extremely unlikely word would get back to Godwin, but Jack knew what a snoop his father was, so he'd had to take a number of precautions to acquire the motorcycle after Godwin'd told him he wasn't allowed to own any such thing.

The most important one was having a place to keep the motorcycle. He drove past the Tops until he reached a more modest neighborhood and pulled into one of the driveways there. He knocked on the door and a woman opened almost immediately.

"Jack!" She hugged him before he could move out of arm's reach. "I was just thinking of you."

Jack grunted. "Keep this here for me, got it?" He thumbed at the bike.

"Of course. I already told you I would." She beamed at him reassuringly.

Though Carly could be overbearing in her friendship, Jack couldn't deny there were perks to having her around, and this was just one example of why.

He said, "I'll walk over here and get it whenever I need to." He started to leave but she grabbed his arm.

"You can't leave already," she protested. "Come on in, I'll make some tea."

"Don't you have work to be doing?" he asked.

She let go of him. "Oh no, that's right! I have an article due at midnight. Sorry, but I guess I will have to make that tea later."

"Maybe next time, then." He nodded at her and headed back home. It was a long walk, but he passed up all the bus stops anyway. Since graduating college, he'd had little to do besides think of ways to avoid Godwin. Having such long legs was a disadvantage in this respect. Even taking his time, he ended up at home far sooner than he would've liked. Fortunately, Godwin's car wasn't there, so he must have been working overtime.

Jack headed up to his room and came to a stop a foot from his door. Something was wrong; he could sense it. He threw his door open and looked around, prepared to defend himself and his belongings against any burglars.

What he was not prepared for was a man his age asleep in his bed, curled up with his pillow. The noise of the door opening woke him. The man sat up slowly, stretched, and then smiled at him.

"Welcome back, Jack."

* * *

><p><strong>And welcome, all my readers, to my new fic. This time, I want to capture the dark, gritty tone of the first season of 5D's and explore the unsavory corners of a Satellite-esque area.<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and please tell me what you think so far. If you want to see more of this story, let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jack's large hand was threatening Kiryu's ability to breathe, but he didn't struggle. Pressed against the wall as he was and with a disadvantage in height, he probably wouldn't have had much success if he had wanted to fight. Instead, he met Jack's fiery eye contact with the icy cool of his own look and waited for Jack to speak. His patience was rewarded before long.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" Jack glanced down and added with a growl, "Wearing one of _my _shirts?" He loosened his hold slightly so Kiryu could answer him.

"Kiryu Kyosuke, I'm in hiding, and my shirt was dirty," Kiryu said, answering Jack's questions in order.

Jack looked at him blankly and Kiryu knew it would take more than his brief explanation to earn his freedom. He said, "Let go of me, would you? Then I'll tell you the whole story."

"I'm not interested. I just want you to leave."

"You have to let go of me for that, too," Kiryu pointed out.

"Says who?"

Kiryu realized he was less than a second away from being bodily removed from the Godwin residence. His one chance was an emotional appeal of the highest caliber. Jack was from Satellite. Surely anyone from that place would empathize with him. "If you don't let me hide here, my pimp's going to kill me!" Kiryu exclaimed.

Jack paused after lifting Kiryu up just an inch. He dropped him back to the ground without letting go of him. "You're a prostitute?" His expression was something between disbelief and what Kiryu hoped wasn't disgust.

"At your service," Kiryu answered wryly. Jack took a step back, his hands falling to his side. "That was a joke. I'm not diseased, you know. You don't have to look at me like that."

Jack settled for looking right above Kiryu's head. "What does any of this have to do with me? You're trespassing in my room."

"I went as far as I could and saw this place by chance," Kiryu said. "I've been running all day. So? Will you help me out or not?"

Jack asked, "Why is your pimp going to kill you?"

"Because he's an asshole and thinks he owns me. Which, unfortunately, he does. So when he realizes I've left he's going to be more than a little upset."

"He can't own you." Jack looked at Kiryu again. "You're a human."

"Don't be so stupid," Kiryu said, risking provoking Jack's anger. Was he purposely repressing his memories from Satellite or something? If he started acting like he was Tops born and bred, Kiryu knew he wouldn't be able to get through to him. "Shit happens and people take advantage of that. I'm fucking sick of it. I just need a few days. One day, even. Then I'll figure out somewhere else to go."

Kiryu could see he was winning Jack over. Finally, Jack said in a stern voice, "You can stay tonight but then you have to go. But don't leave this room or my father will throw you out. And if you think of stealing something or trying anything funny, _I'll _throw you out."

Kiryu smiled at him, genuinely relieved. "Thank you, Jack."

Then Jack looked at him strangely. "You said my name when I came in here. How did you-"

"Oh, everyone knows you now," Kiryu said dismissively. "Future politician Jack Atlas or whatever."

"I would never follow in that man's footsteps," Jack muttered. He walked over to his bed and frowned at the wrinkled sheets. "Stay off my bed. You can have that chair." He pointed to a large armchair facing the balcony.

Kiryu wasn't going to complain, since things were going so well. He took a seat as Jack pulled the curtains closed and turned a lamp on to make up for the lost light. There wasn't anything for him to do then and Jack offered no suggestions, sitting down at his desk and looking at something on his phone. Instantly bored, Kiryu looked around for something to do. The bookshelf next to him wasn't appealing and there was no television in here. He saw an mp3 player near Jack and said, "What kind of music do you like?"

"Hm?" Jack looked up from his phone, followed Kiryu's gaze to the mp3 player, and shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Here." He tossed the mp3 player to Kiryu, who caught it and put the headphones on. He closed his eyes and shuffled through Jack's music library, full of rock bands and intense metal and a mix of other mismatched genres. He started when something touched his shoulder.

"My father's home. I'm going down to eat. Stay here and stay _quiet_."

"Don't worry. He'll never know I'm here," Kiryu smiled. Jack stared at him for a moment before leaving, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Kiryu jumped up and paced about the room. Music was fine, but he decided he wanted to know more about Jack, and what better way to learn about his host than by examining the clues in his own bedroom?

He started with the bookshelf, which was much more interesting than he'd expected. The pictures on it were few, mostly of Jack, suggesting a streak of vanity. There weren't any of Godwin or from Jack's early childhood. In the back, half-concealed by a picture of Jack's high school graduation, was the only picture with someone besides Jack in it. Jack, who looked five or six years younger in it, was standing next to another teenager with dark hair and tan skin. He was much shorter than Jack and dressed in clothes that looked a size too big on him. There was nothing particularly striking about his appearance, except for his eyes. His big, brooding, dark blue eyes, like sapphires seen at night. Kiryu had seen those eyes before. There was no mistake; this was the man he'd seen at the club so recently.

"Well, well." Kiryu grinned to himself. It wasn't like he'd needed another sign, but he'd gotten one all the same. It was fate that had led him here. He already shared a connection with Jack. But what, he wondered, was Jack's connection to this other guy? He turned the picture over to see if any names were written on the back, but it was blank.

Kiryu put the picture back and went to Jack's desk, but no amount of poking around returned any find as interesting as the picture.

* * *

><p>Dinner was a torturous affair. A cook came and prepared the evening meal and served them before leaving every day. Jack was left alone with Godwin and whatever inane conversation the man was intent on making. Lately, the topics had centered upon Jack's future, something he was loathe to discuss with Godwin or anyone else. After all, it had nothing to do with anyone but him, so other people's input was as useless as it was annoying.<p>

"Did you see the article that mentioned you this week?" Godwin asked him as he cut a tender steak into small pieces. Jack began working on his own, noticing with disgust the pink center.

"I saw it."

"And what did you think?"

Jack put his fork down with a clatter. He hated when Godwin asked him questions like that and Godwin knew it. Whatever answer Godwin was looking for, Jack was never sure he had it. "It didn't really have anything to do with me, so I didn't think anything about it."

"What a self-centered boy." Godwin smiled thinly and poured himself a cup of tea from a pot in the middle of the table. "But in particular I was struck by the line stating that you were unavailable for comment. Do you remember that?"

Now Jack knew where this conversation was going and he was sick of it before it had really started. Anyway, leaving Kiryu alone in his room was something he felt hadn't been a good idea and he wanted to finish dinner as quickly as possible and go back upstairs. So he refused to let Godwin beat around the bush any longer. "What favor did you promise the reporter for lying?"

Godwin said, "It doesn't pay for politicians to be in someone's debt. At any rate, tell me, Jack, why you keep getting into this situation? Threatening reporters for asking you simple questions is both unbecoming and an overreaction."

"They all ask me the same thing over and over," Jack said, stabbing a bite of steak with his fork. "And if I say I don't want to talk to them, they get more in my face than ever. If they backed off, so would I."

"This isn't Satellite, Jack. Not everything is an eye for an eye anymore."

A frigid silence enveloped the room. Neither man moved to eat or drink anything more while it lasted. They stared at each other until Jack shoved his chair back and said, "I'm done."

"_We're _not done."

Jack ignored him and made for the staircase. It was a low blow, one that Godwin wasn't above taking again and again, because it always worked on Jack. Why did the bastard even adopt him if he was going to constantly rub his impoverished upbringing in his face?

Upset as he was, he'd forgotten about Kiryu momentarily and was surprised when his room wasn't empty. Kiryu was sitting in the chair Jack had left him in, watching the shadows from birds flying by behind the curtain splay across the carpet. "Hey," he said.

"Not in a talking mood," he said, lying down on his bed and looking up at the ceiling. He needed to be alone, but with Kiryu here, he wasn't able to stew in his thoughts.

"Can I ask something?"

"What?"

"Who's the guy in the picture with you?" Jack looked over at the picture Kiryu was pointing at and scowled.

"Who the hell said you could look at my pictures?"

"They're right there," Kiryu said. "And there wasn't much else to look at. It's not like I read your diary or something."

"It's still none of your business."

"But I met him."

Jack caught himself before he shot up. "Yeah, sure."

"I did," Kiryu insisted. "There's a club where I go some nights and he was there. You should've seen the face he made when he saw the stripper," he laughed.

Now Jack was certain Kiryu was mistaken. "As if Yusei would go someplace like that."

"Yusei is his name?"

Jack clamped his mouth shut. He'd already said too much and he wondered why he'd let Kiryu drag Yusei's name out of him. A long time ago he'd promised never to think of or talk about Yusei ever again. The latter had been easy enough to fulfill until now.

When Jack didn't reply, Kiryu said, "Well, anyway, it seemed like he was looking for something. So maybe he had a good reason to be there."

Jack tried to imagine what Yusei could possibly be looking for in a place where there were strippers and he could think of nothing. It wasn't his problem, though. He said, "I'm done talking about this."

"Why? What happened between you and Stardust?"

Jack choked. "What did you call him!?"

Kiryu blinked wide eyes. "Stardust, that's all. When I looked at his face, it was the natural thing to call him. Don't you agree?"

"No. That's absolutely stupid. His name is Yusei."

Kiryu shrugged. "That's a good name too. So-"

"Enough. Just shut up and be grateful I'm letting you stay, because you're really pissing me off right now."

That was enough to close Kiryu's mouth.

There was a knock at the door and Jack hissed through his teeth before jumping off the bed and pushing Kiryu into the bathroom. A moment later, Godwin opened the door.

"I didn't say you could come in!" Jack said.

"You aren't a teenager anymore, Jack," Godwin said. "So when are you going to learn to behave like an adult?" Godwin walked over to Jack's shelf of pictures and his eyes seemed to linger on the one with Yusei in it. With his back to Jack, he went on, "You need to think about your future."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jack retorted. All these decisions he was being forced to make at once when all his options were unappealing as could be... He knew there was a path for him, and he knew he would find it, but for now it was hidden from sight.

"I think," Godwin said, brushing dust from the shelf, "you need some encouragement."

A small sound came from the bathroom, like a shampoo bottle falling over. Godwin looked at the door curiously before turning back to Jack. "If you have your own goals outside the realm of politics, that's fine. But I'm not satisfied with you dawdling your time away. You have two weeks, and then I expect to hear your plans."

Jack grit his teeth but saw no way out of it. "Fine. Now will you get out of my room?"

Godwin slowly made his way back to the doorway. "Goodnight, Jack."

When he was gone, Jack jerked the door open and glared at Kiryu. "Are you trying to get caught?"

Kiryu was balancing a bottle of lavender-scented shampoo on the shower's rim, a guilty look on his face. "Sorry. I was reading the label."

Jack sighed in exasperation. One night, and he was throwing this guy out. He went back to the bedroom, Kiryu trailing behind. He handed him a pillow and one of his blankets and pointed at a corner of the room. "Sleep there."

Kiryu made a bed on the carpet and settled in, though it was early yet. Before closing his eyes, he said to Jack, "Thank you."

Jack, never good with words of gratitude, muttered, "Don't mention it."

He turned the overhead light off and switched on a lamp to read for awhile before bed. Though now a deadline was looming before him, he didn't want to think anymore about his future that night, not when so much else was happening. He found himself reading the same paragraph over and over and gave up on reading, reaching instead for his cell phone to text Carly.

_You awake?_

_Hi, Jack! Just finished up my article~_

For a moment, he envied Carly's career, how she'd always known what she wanted to do, but Carly was his friend and he didn't want to be unfair to her. _Good. _He didn't know what else to say, but luckily Carly always filled silences.

_I have the day off tomorrow, so let's hang out!_

_Sure. _He glanced over at Kiryu. _There's something I have to take care of in the morning, but I can meet you for lunch._

_Yay! It's a date~_

_Carly._

_Sorry, sorry, you know what I mean._

Jack had been utterly oblivious to Carly's infatuation with him until she'd asked him out a year ago. And, though she was perhaps his only friend since leaving Satellite and he cared for her deeply, he'd never thought of her in the same way. It wasn't anything about her, he'd assured her. What he hadn't told her was that it was all about him. Yusei. Even after all this time... Sometimes, Carly tried to press the issue again, but Jack always cut her off.

_Anyway_, she texted, _we can go to that cafe you like, my treat._

Jack smiled at that. He could already taste the coffee blend of his preference, unmarred by sugar or cream. He started to type a reply when he heard something.

From the corner of the room where Kiryu lay, there were unintelligible low sounds. Jack frowned and put his phone down quietly, tilting his head to hear better. All of the sudden, that action was unnecessary as Kiryu let out a scream.

Jack cursed and was across the room immediately, his hand clamped over Kiryu's mouth so he couldn't make any more noises. Kiryu's eyes flew open, bright with fear, and he fought against Jack, who was forced to hold him down with his other hand. But Kiryu was impossible to restrain and he bit Jack's hand before trying to crawl around Jack. Jack grabbed him by the shoulders and whispered harshly, "Kiryu, _calm the fuck down_."

Kiryu's breathing slowed and his eyes focused on Jack's face. "J-Jack?" His voice was soft and broken, like a crumbling sandcastle. Noticing Jack's bleeding hand, the color drained from his face. "Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit."

"I told you to calm down, didn't I?" It was a miracle Godwin hadn't come to check into the noise, but his bedroom was on the other side of the floor, so it looked like they were in the clear in that respect. "Why were you screaming?"

"Was I?" Kiryu looked guilty, and that made Jack uncomfortable. It wasn't like he'd meant to have a nightmare or whatever it was.

"Kiryu, you..." Jack wished Carly was there. Somehow, she'd know how to help. Or at least how to phrase questions less bluntly than, "Is there something wrong with you?" As soon as Jack said it, he knew it was wrong, but tact wasn't his strong suit. By the way Kiryu stiffened up, Jack knew he was right, anyway.

"No, there isn't," he said.

But Jack's intuition said otherwise. In one quick moment, he grabbed Kiryu's backpack and started rifling through it. He expected to find drugs, but not the legal prescription kind he ended up with.

"Fuck you, that's my stuff!" Kiryu reached for the backpack, but Jack already had what he was looking for. He managed to read the label on the bottle of pills before Kiryu could snatch it back, but the medical jargon meant nothing to him.

"You didn't have to do that," Kiryu said, looking thoroughly betrayed.

"You came to me for help but you haven't told me your full story," answered Jack. "So tell me now."

"What's there to say?" Kiryu looked away. "Bipolar disorder. I have bipolar disorder, okay?"

Jack didn't know much about bipolar disorder, or any mental disorder for that matter, but he knew that it had to make Kiryu's attempt to escape his current situation even more difficult. "Have you... always had it?" he asked.

Kiryu shrugged. "My psychiatrist says so."

"Your psychiatrist?"

"Yeah, my pimp," Kiryu said nonchalantly.

Jack blinked uncomprehendingly. "Are you serious?"

"It's complicated."

Jack shook his head. This was almost too much to take in. Kiryu pushed past him and went back to his makeshift bed. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Fine." Jack returned to his bed as well and saw the light on his phone blinking to alert him of a new text. It was from Carly, of course.

_Jackkkk, where'd you go?_

_Nowhere. I'll talk to you tomorrow._

_Aw, okay. Goodnight. 3_

Jack shut off his phone and the lamp, but instead of trying to go to sleep, he watched the sleeping form of Kiryu and thought about the conversation they'd just had. There was something different about Kiryu, but to Jack, it was so very familiar. It was a layer of desperation and desire that enveloped him from head to toe. It was an unbalanced awareness of the darkest corners of the world. People like him were everywhere in Satellite. Jack had been one of them. He'd escaped through adoption, but others weren't so lucky. And though Jack didn't know if Kiryu was from Satellite, he may as well have been, from what his life sounded like. Jack could tell the world was trampling all over the broken man.

* * *

><p>Kiryu and Jack woke at the same time, when Jack's old-fashioned alarm clock went off. Kiryu pulled his cover over his head in a poor attempt to muffle the shrill ringing. His head hurt from sleeping poorly and the last thing he wanted to do was get up.<p>

He heard Jack shuffle around the room for a minute before stopping next to where he lay. "Kiryu."

Reluctantly, Kiryu lowered the cover. "Is it morning already?"

"Yeah. I'm going to grab breakfast downstairs. I'll bring you something."

That perked Kiryu up. He got to his feet and stretched. "Sounds good. I'll get ready to go."

Jack nodded and left the room, returning in no time with yogurt and a breakfast pastry that he tossed to Kiryu. Kiryu sat down in the same chair as last night as he ate, being careful not to get crumbs anywhere.

Jack nudged the curtain aside an inch and said, "It's storming out there." Lightning punctuated his words, reflecting in his eyes. "I'm meeting a friend at twelve. If the storm hasn't stopped by then, you can stay here until it lets up." Jack said.

"Okay." Kiryu'd thought Jack would try to make him leave first thing, but he'd given him food and now he was saying Kiryu could stay a little longer. What else could that be but a good sign? "What's your friend's name?"

"Carly."

Kiryu felt the pastry turn sour in his mouth. He asked lightly, "Is she your girlfriend?"

Jack scoffed at him, "Hardly. But what business of yours would it be if she was?"

"What indeed." Kiryu opened his yogurt up and used his index finger to swipe the excess yogurt from the lid. He slipped the finger into his mouth and sucked the yogurt off. But Jack had stopped paying attention to him. Kiryu made an annoyed face and finished off the rest of the yogurt quickly. "I'm going to use your shower, alright?"

"Go ahead."

Kiryu's mind was buzzing with questions about Carly as he washed off, but he knew he wouldn't be able to ask anything else without risking being tossed into the storm. Maybe, if he played his cards right, Jack would keep extending Kiryu's welcome.

There was no more talking between them until Jack left soon after Kiryu emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his head. "Keep your fingers to yourself and don't leave the room," Jack reminded him before taking off.

"Where would I go?" Kiryu whispered. "I'm exactly where I want to be. And I won't leave so easily."

He freed his hair from the towel and ran his fingers through it. That was the annoying thing about long hair; it took forever to dry. But Divine wouldn't let him cut it. The more feminine Kiryu looked, the more customers he drew in. He tugged at the ends and considered getting his knife and chopping it all off. Defying Divine was fun, but if his long hair did make him more attractive to guys... For now, it would have to stay.

Thinking of Divine made him suddenly remember the bottles of medicine tucked into his backpack. "Shit, I forgot last night..." It had only taken a few missed doses for Kiryu to decide that Divine was right about this one thing, that he should take medication before he hurt someone or himself. Everything had to go perfectly now. He couldn't risk scaring Jack off. So he dug into his backpack and opened one bottle. To his dismay, there were only a few days' worth of pills huddling at the bottom. He checked the other one. Empty. Cursing at himself, he threw the bottle across the room.

"What do I do?" he muttered to himself, biting the skin around one fingernail nervously. He had to go back and get new bottles. He must have grabbed the older ones by mistake. Divine wouldn't be back yet, surely. No, fate was on his side. He would go back, get his medicine, and be back before Jack had finished lunch.

A peek out the window told him the storm had lightened, though rain still pattered on the streets below. After hiding his backpack in the back of Jack's closet, taking only his pocketknife, keys, and some change with him, he quietly left the Godwin residence. Walking would take too long, so he found a bus stop and rode away from the wealth and cleanliness of the Tops, getting off two stops before Satellite.

He held his breath as he entered Divine's house. Everything was as he'd left it and there was no sign Divine had returned.

He couldn't find any unopened bottles in his room, so Kiryu went into Divine's office. There had to be some there. He dug around in various drawers, not caring if he messed up Divine's meticulously ordered papers. Finally, to his immense relief, he found a bottle at the back of a drawer of otherwise useless objects. He popped one of the pills and swallowed it dry, tucking the bottle into his pocket.

"Good riddance, Divine," Kiryu sang to the empty room, using his arm to knock the books on the desk to the floor. "Live in your own hell and leave me out of it." He pushed a candle to the floor, the glass enclosing it cracking on the impact. But there was no time to destroy the rest of Divine's belongings or perhaps light the candle and tip it over once more. He had to return to Jack, to his plan, to his future. He smiled as he left the study and bade goodbye to the dining room where Divine always sat and sipped his imported wine, and he was still smiling when he collapsed in a pile in front of the door, one foot from the outside world he then dreamed of.

* * *

><p>"Jack, I got us a table!" Carly was sitting on the cafe's veranda, a mug of coffee in front of her. Jack sat across from her and ordered the usual from the waitress who knew both their orders well by now. Carly chattered on and on about work, college memories, and an annoying coworker.<p>

"And then my boss said I was fired _again _and- Jack, are you listening?" Carly pouted, adjusting her glasses to see Jack more clearly. "You look distracted. Even though I'm right here."

Jack shook his head slightly. "Sorry. I was listening."

"But something's wrong, isn't it?" Carly pressed, listening to her investigative reporter's instinct. "Did something happen?"

"Sort of." Jack sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "Carly, you're the only one I can trust."

"Jack..." Carly thought she would melt at the sweet sentiment. "If something's troubling you, please tell me." _I sound like the perfect girlfriend, _she thought triumphantly. Well, practice made perfect, and she was determined to one day truly have the part she was playing.

"I need another favor. But if you say no, it's fine."

"What is it?" It was unusual for Jack to ask for favors, prideful man that he was, but Carly never minded doing things for him.

"It'll be easier to explain if you see. Come back to my place after we're done here."

"O-okay." _His place! I'm going to Jack's place!_ Carly's face burned at hot as her coffee. What kind of favor could Jack need at his home? Maybe in his _room_? Carly downed her coffee more quickly than usual, not caring if her tongue was scalded.

Jack, on the other hand, drank as leisurely as always. Carly couldn't rush him, of course; one of the many things she loved about Jack was how seriously he took his hobbies, even little things like savoring a freshly blended cup of coffee. Time flew anyway as she watched him enjoy his cup, and after she tried to pay and Jack handed over his own credit card for the bill, they walked side by side back to Jack's house. It would have been ideal if they only could share an umbrella, but Jack had brought his own.

Carly had seen his house before, but she'd never been invited inside. This was huge progress for them!

"This way," Jack said. He took his shoes off and left his coat on a hook near the doorway. Carly did the same and then stumbled after Jack towards the staircase. As they approached a door Carly just knew had to be to his bedroom, she tried to ask casually, "So, this favor... What, um, did you have in mind?"

Jack said, "You'll see in one moment." Carly thought the suspense would kill her as Jack swung his door open, stepped inside, and looked around. She joined him, almost shaking with excitement at seeing the inside of Jack's bedroom- the bed where he slept! The desk where he read! The bathroom where he- no, Carly didn't dare think it.

But Jack wasn't suddenly kissing her and leading her to the bed. Carly pouted again and looked up at Jack to see what was making him hesitate. "Jack?"

"What the hell? Where is he?" Jack grumbled. He looked in his bathroom and closet and growled when he found nothing. He started storming around the rest of the house, looking in every room, and Carly had no choice but to trail behind.

"Jack, tell me what's going on!" Obviously whatever favor he'd had in mind was far from what she'd been guessing. "Who were you talking about?"

"This guy, Kiryu Kyosuke, came to me-" Jack shook his head and broke off. "Nevermind. Looks like I was mistaken about needing something."

"It's fine," Carly assured him, still feeling confused and disappointed. "Well, um... Why don't we go back to my house and wait out the rain? It's supposed to stop soon, so you could try out your new motorcycle, if you have nothing else to do?" Seeing Jack take off on the bike, his beautiful hair waving in the wind, would help Carly feel better, she was sure.

After several seconds, Jack's pensiveness disappeared. "That sounds good. Forget about all this, okay?"

But Carly only smiled, because she didn't want to lie to Jack. Even if she wanted to, there was no way she could forget Jack's strange behavior and the mention of this "Kiryu Kyosuke."

* * *

><p>AN: First of all, thanks to firesarrow, k8wolfx, and 5dshadesofgay for your reviews! They're great encouragement to me. This chapter took longer to write than expected because Jack and Kiryu like to be difficult to writers. Every time I wanted them to do something, they would refuse, so I had to rewrite some of these scenes several times before I figured out what they wanted to do. Honestly, they're so stubborn!

Also, there was a minor typo in the last chapter that I caught soon after I posted the story, but it might be confusing for anyone who saw it. I said that the chief of police harassed Yusei in the club, but that would be Godwin, and it definitely was not Godwin, so I changed it to assistant chief of police.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Kiryu's head felt foggy and his limbs were too heavy to move. It took a lot of effort to open his eyes, and then the light seemed so bright he immediately shut them again, but not before he saw that bastard, his savior, his enemy, Divine. "What did you do to me?" he groaned, wishing he could get up from the hard floor.

"I didn't do anything. Don't you remember sneaking into my office and taking medicine you found there? I suppose it wasn't what you were expecting."

"But it looked like-!" Kiryu spoke so fast he ended up biting his lip. He winced as blood trickled into his mouth. "You did that on purpose. You tricked me."

"Do you know how predictable you are, Kiryu?" Divine sounded amused. "All it took was a well-placed newspaper and a warning not to go anywhere and you end up in the house of Rex Godwin. Truthfully, I expected you to be there longer before coming back for more medication, but I wired a device in my desk drawer to send my phone an alert when it was opened, so I was able to get back in time to find you sprawled out here in the doorway.

Enough strength had returned to Kiryu's body that he could sit up and glare at Divine. "What if I'd just taken the medicine with me? Then what?"

"That was a risk, but when do you ever wait to do anything?"

That his plan had failed and he was back in Divine's clutches was so bitterly disappointing that at first Kiryu didn't understand all of Divine's words. Then, he realized how strange what he'd said was. "Why are you acting like you wanted me to go there?" It was too late to ask how Divine knew he'd even gone; Kiryu'd admitted as much already.

"Because I did. You see, I have unfinished business with Godwin. I won't be satisfied until I've exacted my revenge upon him."

Kiryu pursed his lips, then said flatly, "You want to blackmail him like you blackmail all my customers." A camera placed in a hotel room beforehand, a simple threat in the mail the next day- what would the public think of the people who run the world fucking a prostitute? Whatever Divine was paid for the initial encounter was nothing compared to what he received in the years to come for keeping quiet. One person had thought to ruin Divine's business by warning a friend. Kiryu'd read two interesting obituaries the day after that.

"Of course not. Godwin would never fool around with a prostitute. But someone might." Divine smiled at Kiryu, who realized in horror just how much he'd been playing into Divine's hands.

"You want to blackmail him about me and Jack doing something!"

"Is that a problem for you? I'd think Jack Atlas was a much more appealing target than any customer you've ever had."

Kiryu was shaking his head. "I never agreed to that and there's no way even you could get cameras inside Godwin's house."

"That's why I'd need your cooperation. Before you refuse, consider this: if you help me ruin Godwin, the rest of your debts are gone."

Kiryu's eyes slowly widened. "I won't owe anything more?"

"Not a cent. But only if Godwin's name is ruined for good."

It sounded too good to be true, and Kiryu'd learned about deals with devils, so he didn't simply agree. "I'll think about it." He'd thought he could fix his situation by getting Jack to fall in love with him and pay off all his debts, but if Divine took care of them, he wouldn't have to try to seduce him anymore. And to be honest, Kiryu was getting tired of being expected to seduce every man he ended up alone in a room with.

"Don't take too long. I've been waiting for years for an opportunity like this."

* * *

><p>It was the best. He would be free before he knew it. It was the best, it was the best, it was the fucking worst thing he'd ever heard. At first, it hadn't upset Kiryu too much, but the more he thought about it, the more pissed he became. He was a pawn. Divine used him more than anyone else had- and plenty of people had used him. Kiryu wanted to be free, he wanted to kill Divine, he wanted Jack Atlas to love him, he wanted to never be fucked by a stranger again. Three of those things were currently impossible or impractical. The latter, though- Kiryu had a say in that.<p>

He wanted to be free, but not more than he wanted to fuck Divine over.

The customer was waiting for him naked. Kiryu hated the eager ones most of all. Hands were under his shirt, pawing at his jeans almost before he'd closed the hotel door. He knew which corners Divine had put cameras in and he was tempted to flip them off, but what he was going to do would be so much better. He let the customer push him onto the bed and roll his shirt up- and then he slapped him and stood up. "No," he said.

The customer looked confused more than angry. "I didn't ask for any rough treatment. I don't know if that's normally how you do things, but-"

"I don't care what you fucking asked for, you're not getting anything, you disgusting pervert. Go die for all I care." He smoothed his shirt out, tossed a final glare over his shoulder, and slammed the door behind him.

Walking home, he was almost giddy. How amazing it felt to take control again. He'd once been at the top, never having to answer to anyone... Divine was going to be furious at him, but Kiryu didn't care. He'd smooth things over somehow with the jilted customer, find some form of recompense. In the meantime, Kiryu would enjoy the walk home, picturing all sorts of ways Divine could die by illness or accident to pass the time.

The fifth stabbing he was mentally putting Divine through was interrupted when he realized a car had pulled up beside him. He looked over in annoyance, waiting for the catcalls and then the "oh shit, he's a guy." His eyebrows raised when he saw who it was. "Divine?"

"Kiryu." The false gentleness was all gone from Divine's voice, which had turned acidic. "Get in the car."

"What if I don't want to?"

"It seems you don't want to do lots of things tonight. Did you think I'd let you say no to a customer?"

"You didn't have to let me. I just did it."

Divine shook his head, looking at him like he was a bug begging to be stomped on. "Get in the car or I swear I'll run over you."

Kiryu rolled his eyes at Divine's dramatic words and got into the passenger side. If Divine wanted to yell at him or hit him, he could go ahead and get it out of his system. Divine deserved having his name ruined. It would be sweet karma for how many names he had ruined- not that Kiryu had pity for any of those men.

As soon as he got in the car, he felt a jab on his arm and clutched at it in surprise. There was a needle connecting to some vial in Divine's hand. "What the hell!?" The world was turning blurry and he slumped in the chair, almost losing consciousness.

"I'm going to show you what happens when someone defies me," Divine said in a quiet, lethal tone.

Kiryu could barely move or see and he didn't know how much time passed before the car stopped. Divine half-dragged and half-carried him into a building Kiryu'd never seen before. He was too weak to fight Divine off, though he felt a huge, growing need to do so. Adrenaline tried to overcome the effects of whatever Divine had shot him up with, but to no avail. The next thing Kiryu knew, Divine had tossed him on the ground and was tying him up: his wrists above his head, his legs spread out and tied separately to wooden beams spaced throughout the room.

And then he left.

"...Divine?" Kiryu tried to call after him, but his voice was as weak as his body. He struggled with the ropes, but Divine had tied them tightly, so that they dug into his wrists and made them bleed when he moved too much. Fear was clearing his mind, or maybe whatever Divine had given him didn't last long.

He heard Divine return several minutes later, and his footsteps weren't the only ones. He raised his head and saw four or five shadows behind him. Divine barley looked at Kiryu as he said, "Do what you want with him, as long as you don't kill him."

"What-!" Kiryu struggled again, ignoring the pain in a desperate attempt to free himself. He couldn't undo the ropes, though, and then five people were surrounding him, men in their twenties and thirties looking down at him with amused grins.

Kiryu closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do. There was never anything he could do in the end to save himself. Nothing he could do to keep his clothes from being cut off, nothing he could do to stop fingers and dicks being shoved in him, nothing he could do to keep from crying.

All he ever did was fall further.

* * *

><p>Carly's fingers trembled as clicked on another article title. A simple google search of his name had revealed that Kiryu Kyosuke was a felon, and with the digging of a devoted reporter, she found out every detail that had ever been published about him: one newspaper mentioned stealing, another, a stabbing, and those were just the start.<p>

_Arrested three times before the age of 20...One count of attempted murder...Pleaded not guilty for reason of insanity..._

Carly closed her browser and buried her face in her hands. This Kiryu Kyosuke was a monster and he was trying to sully Jack in some way, she just knew it. There was no way Jack would voluntarily get involved with a guy like that!

"I have to warn him," Carly murmured. She grabbed her car keys and pulled on her shoes. The drive to Jack's was short, which was why he normally walked it, but she didn't want to take the time when Jack could be in trouble.

Unfortunately for her, Godwin was home, and he was the one who answered the door.

"Ah. Miss Nagisa." He said her name with subtle disdain, but not so subtle that it didn't register and make her cringe.

"Hello, Mr. Godwin," she said with a forced smile. "I'm here to see Jack."

"Now, what business could you possible have with my son?" Carly could easily hear the rest of the message: _You're a nobody, after all_.

She tried to think of some reason that sounded sophisticated enough to warrant entrance, but luckily, a voice boomed down the staircase right then. "Is that Carly? Let her in."

"Jack!" Carly took the opportunity to dodge by Godwin and meet Jack at the bottom of the staircase. "Sorry for coming over without calling first."

"It's fine. Come on." Jack and Godwin exchanged a cold stare that made her uncomfortable before Jack led her upstairs to his room. She never understood why they didn't get along, because if Godwin had wanted to adopt Jack, surely he loved him. It troubled her so much she almost wasn't excited about being in Jack's room again. Almost.

"So, what's up?" Jack asked, sitting on the edge of his bed. Carly looked around, decided not to be so bold as to sit beside him, and took the armchair near the window.

"I have something important to talk to you about," she said. Jack raised an eyebrow and she went on. "It's about the person you mentioned the other day- Kiryu Kyosuke."

"I told you to forget about that," Jack said irritably.

"I know you did, but I couldn't." She tapped her fingers on the armchair, full of nervous energy. "I read about him, and he's bad news, Jack. He's stolen things and attacked people and he even burned down someone's house once. I don't know what connection you have with him, but I think you should cut it before he drags you into something bad."

Jack gave her a strange look. "Where did you even read those things?"

"It's in the newspapers and I saw some court records too and-"

"Carly, listen to me. Someone like you could never understand what it's like to commit crimes to live. Someone I knew... He stole things to keep the other children in the orphanage warm at night. I won't make excuses for the other things, but you're a reporter. You should know better than anyone that there's always more to the story than what one side shows."

"J-Jack?" What did he mean, someone like her? She was reminded of how little she knew about Jack's life before college and how little he spoke of his feelings in general. "I was just trying to look out for you..."

"I know. But I don't need you to."

Carly felt herself deflate. She'd come over here on a mission and was told she'd been doing the wrong thing all along. "I see. I'm sorry. Will you at least tell me how you know him?"

"It was chance, but he's out of the picture now. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"Okay. I'm glad everything's fine." She smiled at him. "Your safety is important to me, Jack."

Jack didn't say anything else. Carly shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked around Jack's room. "You should go now," Jack said.

"Oh."

Jack sighed. "Because it's almost time for dinner and you don't want to stay for that. Trust me."

"Okay." Carly felt a bit better when Jack said that. She came over and gave him a hug, which he barely reciprocated, as usual. "I'll see you later, then."

"I'll walk you out."

After she waved goodbye to Jack on the doorstep, Carly got in her car and went back home. All the while, she brainstormed ways to learn more about Jack's past, so that she could be closer to him in the future.

* * *

><p>Yusei was so preoccupied with his thoughts that at first he didn't see the stranger staggering down the street he'd just turned onto. When he saw he wasn't alone, his instinct was to put his guard up, but he quickly realized that was unnecessary when the stranger collapsed into a heap.<p>

Cautiously, Yusei approached him, in case it was some kind of trick. But when he saw the bruises and the stranger's torn clothes, he knew it wasn't. This person seriously needed help. And when he looked at his face, he recognized him as the person from the club he'd met not long ago.

The club. Yusei had to get back there; he was sure a lead was just around the corner. He took a step away and peered down at the street in the club's direction. He had to go, but... He looked back at the collapsed man and sighed. There was no way he could leave him alone.

After checking for any signs of consciousness, he ended up hauling the stranger onto his back and making his way back to his apartment. He wasn't heavy, but he was bigger than Yusei, so it was something of a challenge. Yusei went in the back so as not to get any weird looks from the guard out front and, after a tough walk up the staircase, went into his room and put the man on his futon.

First, he had to check for any wounds more serious than the bruises littering his bare arms and face. Yusei paused when he lifted up an arm, noticing pale scars all over his wrist. Then he shook his head and continued checking the man over. Satisfied he had no cuts or broken bones, he got a glass of water from his kitchenette and put it next to the sleeping man.

An hour passed or maybe two before the man stirred. His eyes opened slightly then he started awake, looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings. To put him at ease, Yusei said, "Don't worry. You're safe."

The man looked at him uncomprehendingly and tried to sit up before hissing in pain and falling back onto the futon. "Where...?"

"This is my place. I found you collapsed on the street."

"...I've seen you before." The man's voice was labored, as though it hurt to talk.

"Yes. At the club."

After a moment of silence, the stranger managed a chuckle. "Aren't you going to give me a name, my kind savior?"

"...Yusei."

"I'm Kiryu." Kiryu noticed the glass of water and took a few drinks from it. "...Thanks."

"No problem. I don't have any painkiller..."

"Don't worry about it." Kiryu watched him go back to the kitchen and rifle through his cabinets. "You're weird, you know. You haven't asked what happened to me yet."

"None of my business." Yusei found a box of crackers and brought them to Kiryu. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

Yusei left the crackers beside him anyway and sat down on a chair close to the futon. Kiryu said, "Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Why were you at the club that day?"

Yusei was irritated- Kiryu'd asked that question that day, and now he was asking again, as though it was that important for him to know. But then again, maybe this was a good thing. Maybe Kiryu could help him.

"I'm looking for a friend who's gone missing."

"Oh... I'm sorry. Was your friend a regular? Maybe I knew him."

"He wasn't. As far as I know, he only went there once, but that was the last place he was seen."

"That's not a good place to disappear," Kiryu murmured.

"Do you know what might have happened to him?" Yusei asked, trying not to feel too hopeful about his chance of getting useful information.

"I hope not, because it wouldn't be anything good." Kiryu sighed. "I know the owner has workers there who try to get younger people hooked on drugs and then selling them. And there's a prostitution ring and god knows what else. If someone disappeared there, they could've gotten involved in anything like that. What's your friend's name? Maybe I've heard something."

"Crow. Crow Hogan." Yusei felt a pang of sadness when he said Crow's name. It had been too long since he'd seen his friend, his only friend in the world for years now.

"Crow... No, I haven't heard that name before. But I'll be paying attention for it now."

"Thanks. I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get back to looking for him. Is there anywhere else you can go?"

"Actually..." Kiryu paused. "You know where Jack Atlas lives?"

* * *

><p><em>The day Jack confessed to him, Yusei was in awe. For all his intuition and intelligence, he'd never expected Jack to like him. He wandered around, starstruck, until Crow found him sitting on the orphanage's staircase by almost tripping over him in a rush downstairs.<em>

"_Wha- Yusei, what're you doing just sitting here?" he asked after he regained his balance._

"_He called me Stardust."_

"_What? Who did?"_

"_Jack."_

"_That's gay," Crow snickered. When Yusei didn't react, his eyes widened. "Oh god, he _is _gay. Oh god, _you're _gay! You're gay together!"_

"_Crow!" Yusei flushed. "I mean, what if we are?"_

_Crow thought for a moment then shrugged. "Nothing, other than if I ever see you two kissing I'm gonna gag. You're like my brothers, after all."_

"_You're getting ahead of yourself." Yusei hugged his knees to his chest. "I still don't know how to respond to Jack's confession."_

"_Well, do you like him?"_

"_I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it..."_

"_Yusei, trust me. It's not something you think about. It's just something you feel."_

_Yusei tried to analyze his feelings when Crow said that, but he was still too frazzled. And then he understood that his overwhelming feelings were themselves the sign that maybe he liked Jack back._

"_...I'm going to accept."_

"_Go for it, then." Crow helped him up and patted him on the back. "But remember. No kissing in front of me."_

_Things were forever different after that, and in the best possible way. He and Jack had always been inseparable; now they were together in a different way. Jack was a leader, and he chose the pace for their relationship- fast, but not too fast, just enough so that Yusei always felt exhilarated._

_For someone who'd never kissed anyone before Yusei, Jack was an amazing kisser. Not that Yusei had anyone else to judge by either, but he knew anyway, because Jack stole his breath and made his heart race faster than he thought possible. True to his word, Yusei made sure their kissing was done in secrecy, away from anyone's prying eyes. It was difficult to arrange in a crowded orphanage, so when they did have a spare moment alone, they never wasted it._

"_Jack!" Yusei gasped. Jack had pushed him back onto the mattress, kissing his neck and jawline. Yusei shivered and threw his arms around Jack, rubbing his crotch against Jack's. Jack moaned into his neck._

"_Damn it, Yusei, that feels so good..."_

"_Give me more, Jack," Yusei whispered._

_Jack's eyes flickered to the door to make sure it was locked, and then he climbed onto the bed on top of Yusei. He slipped his fingers under the band of Yusei's jeans and felt his hardening cock through his boxers. Yusei closed his eyes and let his head fall back, breathing hard. "Touch me, Jack. Really touch me."_

"_Are you sure, Yusei?"_

"_Right now." Jack was much too considerate when it came to things like this, always making sure Yusei was comfortable above all else. Yusei supposed that was a good thing, but not when there was a fire inside him demanding Jack feed it._

_Jack tugged Yusei's jeans and boxers down. They were both flushed, partly from awkwardness; they'd never gone this far before. Jack got his confidence back first and starting pumping up and down Yusei's cock. Yusei'd had no idea it could feel so much better when someone else did it, but it was like nothing he'd ever felt before._

"_Jack..." he moaned. "Faster."_

_Instead of complying, Jack did something else entirely- he leaned down and took Yusei into his mouth. Yusei gasped at the sudden wet, warm sensation; it sent electric shocks up and down his spine. Jack moved back and forth until Yusei was fully aroused and leaking precum into Jack's mouth. He wanted to come, but he wanted to hold off at the same time, so the amazing feeling would go on and on. Tangling his fingers into Jack's soft hair, he steadied his breathing- until Jack grazed his teeth along the top of his arousal. Unable to resist any longer, he came before having time to warn Jack. Blinding white light overcame him and when he came to, Jack was spitting into a tissue. "Sorry," he said meekly._

_Jack tossed the tissue away and gave him a tender smile. "Don't be. I wanted to make you feel good. I did, didn't I?"_

"_More than I ever have before. ...You have to let me return the favor." Yusei was already crawling towards Jack. He reached out to unzip Jack's jeans when they heard feet padding along the floor and stopping at the door. They froze. Ann, a seven-year-old who hadn't been at the orphanage long, called out, "Why is the door locked? Who's in there? Big brother Crow?"_

"_Crow's not here, brat," Jack called back. "Try somewhere else."_

"_Jack? What are you doing in there? I wanna come in!"_

_Yusei and Jack exchanged tense glances. Yusei said, "We'll play with you later, Ann. We're, um, studying right now."_

"_Ew, boring!" They heard her take off, as though if she didn't get out of there right then she'd have to do calculus homework. They sighed in relief._

"_This place is so difficult sometimes," Jack muttered._

"_It's fine now. So where were we?"_

_It didn't take them long to get back into the mood. Yusei found Jack's size a considerable challenge, but he was determined to make Jack feel as good as he'd made Yusei feel._

_And then there was another knock._

"_What is it?" Jack snapped as Yusei quickly released Jack and sat up._

_Crow's voice answered. "There's someone here looking to adopt. Looks real important. Martha wants everyone to come out."_

"_Why bother?" Jack said. "People always want the brats, not us. We're too old."_

"_Whatever, Martha still wants everyone."_

"_We'll be right there."_

"_Oh, Yusei's with you, huh?" Crow teased, "Sorry for interrupting. Finish up and come out!" Laughing at his own double entendre, he ran off._

"_He killed the mood," Jack said._

"_Yeah," Yusei agreed wistfully._

_They pulled on their clothes and helped pat each other's hair down before going out to where Rex Goodwin was waiting to adopt._

* * *

><p>AN: And God said let there be kingcrabshipping. Though treasonshipping will forever be my OTP, kingcrabshipping is important to me and I think there needs to be more of it out there.

Thanks to Rita Hearts, K8wolfx, and 5dshadesofgay for reviewing! If you're reading, please let me know what you think. It matters a lot to me.


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